


The Dynamic Duo

by tommygirl



Category: The OC
Genre: Drabble Collection, M/M, Season/Series 01, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-03
Updated: 2013-05-03
Packaged: 2017-12-10 07:44:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/783546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tommygirl/pseuds/tommygirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>a series of drabbles about Seth & Ryan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Dynamic Duo

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kashmir](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kashmir/gifts).



**_Drabble # 1 - Seth/Ryan_ **

“Have you given any thought to how we’re going to tell your parents?” Ryan asked, searching Seth’s eyes for some sign of an answer. Unfortunately, Seth seemed as lost about how to broach the topic as he was. Ryan could imagine Sandy and Kirsten’s reactions, blaming themselves for ever inviting Ryan into their house to begin with.

“You’re doing it again,” Seth said, pulling Ryan out of his thoughts.

“Doing what?”

“If you keep freaking out like this, you’ll have worry lines by the time you’re twenty. And dude, I’m not dating a guy with wrinkles.”

“And we’re dating?”

Seth shrugged and said, “Sleeping together, hanging out...let’s just avoid using the term ‘boyfriends’ or I’ll flashback to my junior high taunting at the hands of the evil jocks.”

Ryan smiled. He was never very good with words, and maybe that was why things were so easy with Seth. Seth did enough talking for the both of them. “I think your parents would prefer to hear we’re dating than we’re sleeping together.”

“Probably,” Seth replied. He met Ryan’s gaze and laughed. He took Ryan’s hand and pulled him down on the sofa next to him. He said, “Dude, stop freaking out. My parents aren’t the type to disown or scream bloody murder, you know that. They’ll be surprised, call a family meeting where they ask us if we’re sure and have thought about the consequences, and then all will be well. It’s not them we have to worry about.”

“It’s everyone else.”

“We can handle it. You and I are a dynamic duo,” Seth stated, with this tone that almost made it sound like he wasn’t insane.

Ryan chuckled and said, “Right. And which of us is Robin?”

“We’re not the dynamic duo – while you might have Batman’s brooding down to an art form, I wouldn’t look good in tights. And I think I’m better with thinking of things to say to fill silences than ‘holy unwanted clarity, Ryan, I’m gay.’ Don’t you agree?”

Ryan rolled his eyes, but smiled all the same. He leaned over and kissed Seth, allowing his hands to linger on Seth’s shoulders for a moment. He pulled back and sat down on the opposite end of the couch so that he was facing Seth. He wasn’t sure how he was going to explain this to Sandy and Kirsten when he was still so confused by how it all happened. Ryan wasn’t even sure if there were reasons. It was simply something that made sense. He loved Seth. End of story.

Ryan met Seth’s gaze and said, “So we’re a dynamic duo, but not the dynamic duo?”

“That’s what I said. A team. Inseparable because we work best together,” Seth replied.

“And we’ll handle your parents.”

Seth nodded. “You catch on quick.”

"Sometimes it frightens me that I've figured out how your brain works."

"Dude, you're not the first to say that."

"Must mean I love you."

Seth sighed melodramatically and raised his hand to his forehead as though to swoon. He said, "I'm so lucky."

Despite the sarcasm, Ryan knew there was sincerity at the heart of the comment. "Yeah. And nothing else matters. Fuck everyone else.”

Seth smiled and replied, “Works for me. Then again, I’ve lived most of my life as an loner already – another year at Harbor won’t kill me.”

Ryan kicked Seth’s leg and replied, “You won’t be alone.”

* * *

_**Drabble # 2 - Seth/Ryan** _

“I have a feeling that this will be the best Chrismukkah yet, Ryan,” Seth states, dropping his bag on the floor of the poolhouse and sitting on the couch. He grins lazily up at Ryan and adds, “Much more to celebrate this year...and with mistletoe.”

Ryan rolls his eyes and kicks Seth’s feet off the table blocking him from getting to the kitchen. Before he can move though, Seth grabs onto his hand and pulls him down on the sofa next to him. Ryan’s not sure when the hell Seth got so strong, but he kinda likes it.

Ryan glances around and replies, “Um...Seth, last time I checked there was no mistletoe over the sofa.”

“Semantics.”

“It’s not semantics. It’s a fact.”

Seth waves him off and replies, “You’re not looking hard enough.”

“Or you’re insane. I’m guessing I’m the one of us who’s right,” Ryan replies. He glances out the windows of the poolhouse. He knows he’s paranoid and that this is the least likely time for him and Seth to be caught by Sandy and Kirsten. It’s the nights where Seth sneaks into his bed that should really freak him out, but the thought still runs through his mind.

Seth leans over and kisses him. He says, “Nope. There was definitely mistletoe.”

“In your head.”

“As long as it exists, Ryan.”

“I don’t think that’s how it works.”

Seth kisses him again and grins. “Uh-oh. Kissed you again under my fake mistletoe. What are you gonna do about it?”

Ryan’s hands get tangled up in Seth’s hair and he pulls Seth down on top of him, needing to get closer and to get more contact. He isn’t sure where these emotions come from. He’s always prided himself on being able to maintain a distance, even in relationships, but everything with Seth continues to throw him off.

“Merry Chrismukkah, Seth,” Ryan replies, smiling into Seth’s neck as he sucks on a particularly groan-worthy spot.

Seth moans and says, “Definitely the best Chrismukkah so far.”

* * *

_**Drabble # 3 - Seth/Ryan** _

Sometimes Ryan wasn’t sure that college was all it was cracked up to be. It seemed to be made up of a whole lot of nervous breakdowns around midterms and finals, and ruled over by insane professors who enjoyed tormenting their students. It was more than a little stressful as he glanced down at the kitchen table, overrun with books and papers and assignments.

Ryan couldn’t help but notice that Seth wasn’t stressed out at all. In fact, Seth was splayed across the couch while he watched some reality show.

Sometimes Ryan hated Seth a whole lot.

“Have you made your Chrismukkah list yet, Ryan?” Seth asked as he flipped through the channels on the television.

“What?”

“Chrismukkah...it’s our first Chrismukkah in our own college apartment. I want to make sure it’s special.”

Ryan rolled his eyes. “We’ve still got a few weeks until the holidays, Seth.”

“So?”

“So maybe we should focus on finals first.”

Seth waved him off and muttered, “Always so serious. Who knew that the bad boy from Chino was really a goodie-goodie waiting to come out?”

“I heard that.”

“Good.”

“Seth...”

“Dude, you haven’t even started your Chrismukkah shopping, have you?”

Ryan pointed at the school books littering the table and replied, “Do I look like I’ve had time for anything outside of Physics?”

Seth shook his head and said, “That’s what you get for being a science and math nerd. Us English majors don’t have these problems.”

“Weren’t you the one freaking out about a twenty page paper on Chaucer a few weeks ago?”

Seth shrugged. He stood up and walked over to the table. He placed his hands on Ryan's shoulders and littered kisses across the base of Ryan’s neck. Ryan felt Seth grin into the curve of Ryan’s neck before Seth said, “And as I recall, you came up with a very...creative...way to release the tension.”

Ryan smiled, taking a hold of Seth’s hands and pulling them down to rest on Ryan's chest. Seth might drive him crazy most of the time, but Ryan couldn’t imagine it any other way. Ryan kissed Seth’s hand and said, “I’m pretty sure I told you to stop waiting until two days before your papers were due.”

“No, no...I’m pretty sure you just kissed me a whole lot,” Seth countered. He pulled Ryan out of his chair and wrapped his arms around Ryan’s waist, pressing their bodies against one another. Seth allowed his lips to hover over Ryan’s for a few seconds before kissing him.

There was still something about kissing Seth that left Ryan unable to think straight. He still wasn’t sure when Seth stopped being just his best friend and family and became the most important person in his life. Hell, maybe it was there all along, but he and Seth were too dense to realize it. Now, it was impossible to even consider Seth not being by his side.

Ryan stepped back out of Seth’s grasp. He sighed contentedly and responded, “Very good way to relieve tension, but I’ve got to finish these assignments.”

Seth shrugged. “Spoil sport.” Seth moved back over to the couch and sat back down. He met Ryan’s gaze and smiled. “Hurry up and finish though. I have some pre-holiday celebratory plans for you.”

* * *

_**Drabble # 4 - The Moment, Seth/Ryan** _

Seth stared out at the water and took in a long, restorative breath as the wind slapped against his face. This was his favorite place, he decided. Sitting on his boat, whether it was docked or out on the open water, feeling the water lurch below him as the wind flanked through his sails and clothing.

And it was all the better sharing it with someone—the someone—the person who he met as a young boy (Playstation controller in hand like the utter loser he always was--though he quickly became skilled at kicking Ryan's ass whenever the chance arose) and had grown into a man around. The guy who had appeared in his life one day like a stray puppy his father had brought home from the pound and had stuck around. Seth wasn’t used to people (other than his parents anyway) sticking around, let alone being there for him.

Ryan was his best friend and the more time he spent with Ryan, the more he knew it would be impossible not to love him.

So it was totally not his fault that he ended up kissing Ryan one afternoon. Because Ryan was irresistible. One only had to ask Marissa or Teresa for confirmation if they had any doubts.

But the difference, the thing that confused and elated and scared the fuck out of Seth, was that Ryan loved him back. Seth knew that he was the lucky one. He was lucky because Ryan felt the same way about him. Ryan was his and Seth knew that would never change. Seth knew that the way he knew his name—something that simply was and could never not be—and he found himself watching Ryan out of the corner of his eye. There was something about Ryan in that moment, a man lying languidly on a towel next to him, that made Seth’s chest constrict and nerves backfire in his palms.

Seth couldn’t help but smile. He wanted to say something, to offer up an anecdote or mention how hot Ryan looked lying there with the water reflecting off of him, but Seth also didn’t want to spoil the moment. It was so easy to do, sometimes without even realizing it, and he couldn’t recall a time recently where he and Ryan had been able to do something like this. A few small seconds in the midst of busy schedules where they could simply coexist without worrying about communicating or catching up or any of the trivialities of life.

No, things were perfect and any words would ruin it. So Seth laid back down against the warmth of the dock and nestled against Ryan. There were no words spoken as Ryan wrapped his arm around Seth and pulled him closer.

* * *

**_Drabble #5, Dude, You're Arvid, Seth & Ryan_ **

Seth glanced at the table and pretended not to notice that not only did magazines on concrete exist, but that Ryan was reading them. Willingly. Like on purpose. He sipped his coffee, perused the comic section of the newspaper, and went about eating his toast.

Until Ryan chuckled at something he was reading. Surely, this was some fantastical set-up? A bad dream? Because the Ryan he knew would not be laughing at anecdotes about concrete.

"Who broke you, man?"

Ryan looked up from his magazine and gave Seth that typical what-are-you-talking-about-now gaze. He shrugged and said, "What?"

Seth traced his fingers over the magazine and said, "I thought we agreed long ago that I got to be the loser in this friendship."

"Did we?"

"Yeah, and I gotta tell ya, Ryan, you're in a precarious situation here. You're not only about to pass me on the lonely geek road, you're about to pass everyone, including Arvid from Head Of the Class?"

"Who?"

Seth mock gasped, "What kind of childhood did you have?" Off the glare, Seth shrugged and said, "Oh right. Nevermind. Let's just say Arvid is bad. You don't want to be Arvid. No one wants to be Arvid."

"You're babbling again, Seth."

"It's because I'm worried and I get like that when I'm worried."

"About me being Arvid?"

"And reading magazines on concrete and liking it. What's with you? Did you fall out of your bed and hit your head?"

Ryan didn't answer. He stood up, stuff his magazine into his bag, and said, "We're going to be late."

**Author's Note:**

> I took part in the Secret Drabble Santa Project that took place throughout December. I was assigned to write for kashmir1 who I was happy to discover shares many of the same loves as I do


End file.
